Cushioning apparatus for elevator-shaft gates.



PATENTED FEB. 13, :1906

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. its initial posit-ion. y to their lower position has usually resultedin WILLIAM, BARDSLEY, OF KEARNEY, NEW JERSE- Speeieaton of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. i3, 159Go..

v application filed March 28, 1905. Serial No. 252,471.

Be it known that l, WILLIAM BARDSLEY, a ci lizcn oi the United States,and a resident of Kearney, in the county of Hudson and'State or" NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful im rovernent's in(.lushioning Apparatus for E evator-Shaft Gates', of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates vto improvements in cushiriningapparatus forelevator-shaft gates and the like; and it consistsl in the novelfeatures and combinations of parts hereinafter described, andparticularly pointed out in the f' 'msx y Y ln many buildings used forbusiness pur- Vioses the elevators or hoists are employed r carryingfreight and the. elevatorshafts are guarded at each iiooroiv thebuilding by a' vertically-merated gate, which when the elevator reachesthe floor is moved upwardly until caught by an automatic device,lwhereupon the freight is either loaded upon or removed from theelevator, after which the gate` is released and permitted to descend toThe descent of the gates considerableannoyance, due tothe fact that thegates strike the floors with violence and not only become impairedthereby, but create a great'deal of noise.

The object of my invention is to provide siniple,eilicient, andcomparatively inexpensive cushioning apparatus for retarding the finalpart of the descending or closing Inovenient of elevator-gates, andthereby preventing the gates from striking the floors with violence.

.ln carrying out my invention I irovide tinl gate with acount'eirbalance-weight connected by a rope thereto and extend this ropeat one side ol (he shai` t through a vertically-arranged cushioningapparatus, comprising, preferably, asta tionaryair-c linder anda pistonand hollow piston-rod, t e said piston being at the lower end of saidcylinder, with the piston-rod extending downwardly below the saine whenthe gate is inits elevated or o en position. vl/Then the gate descendstow ar( its .fewer or closed position, it draws thecounterlialance-weight upwardly without obstructtlon until the gate isreaching its lower position, when saidwcight will meet the depend- "i fend of the said piston-rod and drive the pasten upwardly within saidcylinder, ther.:-

by trapping the air within the up er portieri 1 will retard the ascentoi said weight, and consequently the descent et' said gate, the latterfinally regaining its initial lower position without violence or noise.-The weight of the gate when in its lower position will, througli. the.pressure of the counterbalance-weigilt, keep the piston-rod and pistonin their upper position. When the gate is raised overhead, the.counterbalancc, which is about threefourths the weightof the gate, andthe iston and piston-rod-will all move downwardly, the counterbalancedescending the requisite n um ber of feet, while the piston. andpiston-rod travel about one foot.

The invention. will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented., reference being had to the accompanying(.lrawings, in which-r Figure 1 is a front elevation of an elevator'-gate with its coacting parts equipped with cushioning apparatusconstructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, the gatebeing shown in its elevated or open position and the box inclosing thecushioning apparatus being shown 'as partly in section. Fig. 2 is an.enlarged central vertical section7 partly broken away, through thecushioning apparatus and its inclosing box. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection through Fig. on the dotted line'f 3 thereof. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section through the cushioning apparatus on the dotted line 44 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a dctached enlar ed vertical section oi the(fatelatching mec ianisin on the dotted line o 5 of Fig. 1.

ln the drawings'jl 0 designates an elevatorgate oi' usual construction',1 1, the customary guides therefor; 1.2, the couliter-balanceweight,connected with the gate l() bymeans ol' a rope or 'flexible connection14, and 15 the air-cushioning cylinder, mounted vertically within thebox or vframe 16, the latter being located to one'side oli the gate 10,as shown in Fig. 1. The gate 1() is provided with a pivoted latch 1.7,which when the gate is in its upper or open position engages aspring-arm 18 and supports the gate, as usual. When it is desired'thatthe gate shall descend to its closed position, the latch 17 and arm lsare disengaged and the gate permitted' to travel dowiiwardly.

rl.`he cylinder 15 is of metal and fastened at its upper yend Iby meansol' ears 1!) upon the upper edges of the box or frame 16, within whichsaid cylinder is suspended. .Within or the cylinder and forininga cusion, which l the cylinder 15 is provided a piston con'iprisingbypreference a wooden disk. 20, a leather cup 21, and a metal disk-nut 22,said parts being secured upon the upper end of the hollow piston-rod 23.The leather cup 21 may be directly secured to the wooden block 20.

The piston and the hollow piston-rod 23 encompass and are guided uponthe central tube 24, which hangs downwardly from the lower osition.(Shown-in Fig.2.) Upon the centra tube 24 is provided a rubber or othersuitable cushioning-disk 27jto preventl the piston on its ascent `fromstriking the head at the upper end of the` cylinder 15 and the said disk27'may be disposed at the upper end of the tube 24 or may be locatedupon the upper central portion of the cup 21, the result 1n eitherarrangement being the same, the' purpose being that the said disk 27shall prevent the up pent-edges of the cup 21'y from striking theupperend of the cylinder. 'The lower.'

end of the piston-rod 23 is provided with a head 28, and intermediatethe weight 12 and said head 28 there is provided upon the rope 14arubber cushioning contact-disk 29, which when the ate 10 descendstoward its lower position will strike the head 28 and move the iston-rod23 with its piston, upwardly with- 1n the cylinder 15. y The disk 29 islocated at the upper end of the weight 12, and the said disk is providedto prevent the direct physical contact of said weight with thepistonrod, the purpose of the disk being to cushion the wei ht as thelatter reachessaid pistonrod an prevent injury to th-e latter or themaking of a noise.

In Fig. 1 the gate 10 is shown in its elevated or open position, and inthis location ofthe gate the weight 12 will be at the lower portion ofthe box or frame 16 and the pistonrodA 23 will be in its lower positionprojecting downwardly below the cylinder 15: When the gate 10 isreleased to descend, its movementgin a downwardly direction results inthe weight 12 being causedA to ascend within the box 16, and the saidgate and weight will move rather rapidly until the weight strikes thelower end or head 28 of th'e rod 23,.when thefurther movement of saidgate -and weight is retarded from the fact that the movement of theweight must drive the piston-rod 23 and its piston upwardly within thecushioning-cylinder 15 the air imprisoned within said cylinder above thepiston affording a cushion rctardmg the final downward movement of thereheld by o While the `gate 10 remains at its lower" or closed positionthe piston will remainwithin the upper portion of the cylinder 15, beingthe pressure of', the weight 12 against the wer end ot' the piston-rod23. When the gate 1() is again moved to its upper position, the weight12 and piston-rod 23, carrying the piston, will both descend to therespective positions inwhich they are shown in Fig. 1,' the weight 12descendingthe requisite number of feet andthe piston-rod 23l underaverage conditions about one foot.

The cushioning apparatus hereinbefore d escribedl is comparativelysimple and inexpensive, but highly eflicient', inthat it does pre- Ventthe gate from striking the Hoor with v-iolenee and does not occupy anyroom required for other purposes, since it is in the direct path of theweight 12 and within the runwayox 16 for'said weight and' does notproject beyond the same. The rope or flexible connection 1'4 passes oversuitable pulley-wheels 3031, whereby a portion of the rope is compelledto travel on a vertical path and in the present "instance passesdirectly through the cylinder, piston, and piston-rod. The guiding-tube24, carried by the cylinder, is of considerable advantage in that itforms a guide for the rope 14 and also for the piston-rod 23, the latterby means of said tube 24 being compelled to travel in a direct path.

I prefer to suspend the cylinder 15 and have the piston rod 23projecting downwardly below the same, so that said rod and its pistonmay be moved with relation tosaid cylinder; but it is obvious thatmyinvention would be included in a reversewarrangement of thecushioning'apparatus,whereby vi oo IOS- the piston-rod at its head 28'might besements of the parts of my invention.

Among the features characterizing my invention it `may be mentioned thatthe counterbalance-wcight 121is always exerting its force in adirect-ion tending toelevate the gate, that the cushioning apparatusdoes not operate to cushion the gate except duringv the I 3io in extentthan the travel of the piston of the prisinga vertically-arrangedcylinder and 'its checking function only during the latter.

. terbalanoe-weig t'therefor, said weight being tion 'and arranged tomove vertically, com- @lasse latter part of the closing movement of thel same, that the counterbalance-weight 12 and rope 14 perform a portionof their movements or travel during both the opening and closing of thegate without influencing or being inuenced by the cushioning apparatus,and that the movement of the gate is greater cushioning apparatus, saidpiston only moving during a portion of the opening and closing movementsof the gate and perl'ormmg portion of the closing movement of the gate.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A vertically-movable gate, and a counterbalance-weight therefor, saidweight being connected with the gate by a flexible connection andarranged to move vertically, coinbined with a cushioning apparatus forcoperation witli said flexible connection and comprisin a verticallyarranged cylinder and checking-piston therein and one oi whichconstitutes a movable member, said gate and flexible connection beingadapted to have a greater extent of movement than said movable memberand to move independently of the same during a part of the closingmovement of said gate and to etlect the movement of said movable memberto create the cushion during another portion of such closing movement;substantially as set forth.

. 2. A verticall Y-movable gate, and a counconnected with the gate by aflexible connecbined with a cushioning apparatus for coperation withsaid lexible connection and coinchecliing-piston therein through both ofwhich said liexible connection freely passes and one of which is movableupon the other tially as set forth.

to create the cushion, and n'ieans carried by said flexible connection"ror engagin said movable` member only' during a portion of l theclosing movement of the gate and moving the same to create the cus on;substan- 3. A gate and a counterbalanee-weight therefor, said weightbeing connected wit the gate by a ilexible connection and arrange tomove vertically, combined with a cushioning apparatus through which saidflexible connection passes and which comprisesthe fixed cylinder havingthe central guidingtube open at both ends', and hollow pistonrod4carrying the piston and encompassing said tube, said piston-rodnormally extend- 'ing fromsaid cylinderin position to be struck,

upon. the closing ol' the gate, by a part carried by said flexibleconnection, 'formovin said piston-rod and piston within said cy inderand creating the cushion; substantially as set, forth.

a. A verticall T-movable gate, and a counterbalance-weight therefor,said weight being connected with theA gate by a flexible connection andarranged to move vertically, coinbined with a cushioning apparatus forcoperation with said flexible connection and comprising thevertically-arranged cylinder having the central uiding-tube open at bothends, and the hol ow piston-rod carrying the piston and encompassingsaid tube, one of v said parts being movable and the other fixed andsaid flexible connection being Jreely extended downwardly thr`ough saidcylinder, pistonand rod and provided with means for engaging saidmovable part only during a portion of the' closing movement ofthe gateand moving the saine to create the cushion; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 27 th day of March, A. D. 1905.

l/VLLAM BARDSLEY.

lifitnesses:

Cniss. C. Ginn, Anriiun Memoir.

